TECHE SCENES — 5th Shadows Plein Air
Published 7:30 am Sunday, March 17, 2019
- Susan Clark's painting completed during Friday's Paint Out competition, won first place during the awards presentation and was purchased during the Plein Air reception that followed.
The judges for the Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition’s student “Paint Out” had a dilemma Friday.
The judges for the Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition’s student “Paint Out” had a dilemma Friday.
The prize for the winning entry was a scholarship to attend a three-day workshop with this year’s judge, Morgan Samuel Price, worth $500. The problem was that the judges chose a two-canvas diptych painted on the Shadows grounds — by two separate artists.
“Oh my,” said contest judge Becky Collins. “We thought they were both painted by the same artist.”
As the contest administrators huddled to work out a solution, student Selena Coffey said she would allow her fellow artist, Camille Buckner, to have the prize.
That’s when Ronnie and Debbie Dupre, visiting from Paducah, Ken., spoke up and volunteered to pay for Coffey to attend the workshop.
Debbie Dupre said the couple was just happy to help.
“Four years ago, Ronnie started on dialysis,” she said. “He had a kidney transplant a few months back, and it has changed our life. He is from here, so we came in to visit family and to see the competition. We’re just happy to be able to travel.”
Coffey is happy the couple is able to travel, too.
“We were just doing this for fun, and we won!” Coffey said to Buckner, barely holding back tears.
